Middle-Aged Korean Men Are Actually Huge BTS Fans, Here's Why

Korean men in their 30’s and 40’s grew up during a time when America’s Billboard music was extremely popular.

Artists such as the Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Michael Jackson, and Bon Jovi were considered legendary musicians to those who were born in this generation.

Pop songs ranked on the Billboard charts became hit songs in Korea and many Koreans admired the American pop culture because of this.

Reply 1988, a drama that portrays life in a small neighborhood in the late ’80s, exemplifies this in many instances.

As a result, those born in this generation could not help but be more than shocked when a Korean idol group succeeded in hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Because it was extremely difficult for any Korean musician to even enter the American market in the past, it was almost a miracle to this demographic that a Korean musician had entered the Billboard charts, let alone ranked No. 1.

After hearing about BTS’s Billboard achievements, Korean men in their 30s and 40s were responsible for a high percentage of the searches for BTS; curious to know more about the musicians who had conquered the insurmountable Billboard chart.

BTS’s lyrics also attracted the attention of these older male fans through their socially conscious lyrics, which is a rarity among idol groups.

Numerous BTS songs including “Am I Wrong”, “No More Dream”, “Ma City”, and “Baepsae” include some form of social criticism. In particular, “Am I Wrong” received much attention at the time for its sarcasm regarding the dog and pig comment made by Na Hyang Wook, the former Director General of the Ministry of Education Policy Planning Bureau.

This social criticism had apparently reminded these older fans of Seo Taiji and Boys, the original K-Pop idols. For this reason, many male BTS fans in their 30s and 40s were apparently big Seo Taiji and Boys fans as well.

Seo Taiji and Boys gained even more popularity in the early ’90s due to their songs, which boldly criticized society despite the fact that such criticism was nearly taboo at the time.

Regardless of the reason, however, this just goes to prove that BTS is loved by everyone, regardless of age and gender!